Medical imaging can be used to diagnose illness and plan or evaluate treatment. Medical images are acquired through a variety of technologies, such as X-ray, magnetic resonance imaging (MRI), and ultrasound. The images produced reveal a patient's internal anatomy and physiological processes. Some techniques produce three-dimensional (3D) images, such as computerized axial tomography (X-ray CT or CT scan). Other techniques instead acquire a sequence of two-dimensional (2D) images, such as 2D digital subtraction angiography (DSA). Time-resolved 3D images are often referred to as four-dimensional (4D) images.
Specialized scanners are used to acquire raw data unique to a particular technique, which is then converted into images that can be viewed by a physician. Computational methods can be applied to further process, analyze, or enhance medical images and provide physiological information that is otherwise not evident in the basic medical images, such as blood flow or tissue material properties. In many cases, simple image processing tools are integrated into the software used for viewing medical images, providing functions such as the ability to render a set of images in 3D. More advanced image analysis is sometimes available on dedicated workstation computers which provide the necessary hardware and software. Or, advanced image analysis may be set up with a client-server configuration, whereby a server provides additional computational power for image processing and may be shared by multiple clients.
For several reasons, it may be preferable to perform computational image analysis at a different location from the hospital or clinic where images are acquired. For instance, the computational requirements may be high and impractical to physically locate at the site of image acquisition. The analysis methods may be proprietary and not available/licensed for use at the site. Analyzing images on site may complicate an already hectic operating environment. Or, it may simply be more cost-effective to have the images processed at a different location, possibly by a third party. As a result, it is better for images to be sent elsewhere for analysis.
Medical images, most often in the DICOM format, contain a great deal of patient-identifying information, and legislation, as well as best practices mandate maintaining patient privacy. Also, in the case of clinical trials, it may be necessary to hide information which may lead to bias (blinded experiments). In large part due to privacy concerns, it is currently uncommon for images to be sent to remote locations for computational analysis, especially in the midst of medical procedures. However, if images could be sent to remote locations, a powerful computer could be used to rapidly perform computationally-intensive image analysis during a medical procedure, providing valuable information to guide and improve treatment.
Therefore, there remains a need for a new and improved medical imaging process to allow medical images to be analyzed off-site while minimizing the risk of compromising patient-identifying information.